And so She Taught Me How to Dance
by Sundusk
Summary: A simple, sweet tale of a lost art and quiet moonlight.


Sundance woke up in her light, purple heather nest. She stretched and got up, smiling at the weak dawn light filtered through the bracken that made up the warrior den. She nosed a big brown tom, large for any WindClan cat, awake.

"Ah, Thornwhisker, wake up! We might make the dawn patrol!" she mewed quietly. Indeed, most of the other warriors were still asleep, save for a small black-and-white she cat and a wiry pale gray tabby tom. The she cat smiled at Sundance, and walked over.

"We might make it!" she whispered, a twinkle in her cheery blue eyes. Sundance nodded and walked out, a slow and tired Thornwhisker following a tail-length away.

"Why can't we sleep in ever?" he whined once they were out of the den. a quick look from Sundance silenced him. A wiry brown tabby loped over. It was Stripedclaw, the deputy.

"Hey, you're the first up!" came his high, reedy voice. "Wonderful!" Stripedclaw was always cheerful. "You can go on the dawn patrol with Brackenstorm and Petalfur!" He motioned to Sundance's friends. "And good initiative, we need warriors like you!" He loped off again, and Thornwhisker was considerably less grumpy after he left. He raced to the heather that marked the clan entrance.

"Let's go!" he yowled behind him.

Petalfur, Sundance, and Brackenstorm followed, smiling at the brown tom's enthusiasm and delight at being complimented.

* * *

After and uneventful patrol, the four cats came back to a bustling Clan. Sundance smiled and nudged Thornwhisker gently. "Let's go hunting." she mewed, more of a command than a request.

Purring, he nodded and they walked out of the entrance once more.

"So, how is your mother?" Thornwhisker asked. Sundance bristled slightly before realizing that he was just trying to make conversation.

"She's fine." she sighed. "Living with her two _other _kits in her inherently _better _Clan with a _handsomer _mate." she spat. But her voice softened. "But she still dances beautifully."

Thronwhisker stared at her in confusion. "Dance? I thought that not cat could do that anymore... I thought it was a lost art..." Sundance shook her head, sighing heavily.

"No. I almost wish it was. Perhaps, then, Hawkfang would not have been entranced by her, and I would not have been born." She hung her head, remembering her proud, golden-furred father. Her gray eyes welled up with tears. Thornwhisker nuzzled her golden ear, so much like Hawkfang's.

"Shh, dearest, don't cry. _I_ am glad that you were born. Where would I be, if you hadn't been here to save me from the dog? Or to help me when I had greencough?" He looked around conspiratorially. "And where would we be if _you_ couldn't dance?"

Sundance looked up at him, startled. "How did you know?!" she said, aghast. She backed up, almost running into a small puddle.

"I watched you, that night when you were an apprentice six moons ago. Under the light of the full moon." he whispered, ashamed. He looked up at her suddenly, blue eyes shining with... was it love? "Dance for me, Sundance, teach me how." He said. Sundance glanced around her. No one was there to see her...

She nodded. "Fine, put one leg here." she mewed, motioning to a spot near her. "And your other here." She stood across from him, a foxlength from his nose. She gently swept her paw to the left, her tail weaving slowly like a snake. Thronwhisker imitated her gentle movements, and they went carefully through each step. A paw flick here as you moved your head here, and another paw here, like a mole digging. The moon shone down on the pair as the brown tom struggled with what the golden she cat accomplished with ease.

By the end, the moon was at its peak. Thornwhisker collapsed in tiredness. Sundance weaved her body next to his as she laid down. "I love you as much as I can dance." she whispered to her lover.

"I love you as far as the moon." came the tom's reply.

**Whew! Maybe not as long as I had hoped, but I thought it was simple and sweet. I hope you recognized the literary reference there at the end...**

**-Sunny**


End file.
